1-800 purchases Asian manufacturer

Optometric Management, Sep 2002

COMPANY WILL SOON MARKET NEW LENSES

* 1-800 Contacts has acquired IGEL, a Singapore manufacturer of contact lenses. According to Jonathan Coon, CEO of 1-800, the acquisition will allow the company to meet the needs of nearly 1 million 2-week disposable patients annually.

Coon says that 1-800 will soon begin testing new lens and packaging designs and setting up marketing and referral programs to start national marketing of IGEL-made lenses by Q1 of 2003.

"Our goal was to find a manufacturer that makes FDA-approved lenses, produces lenses preferred to the leading brands of 2-week disposables, has enough capacity to serve our needs and has the ability to create innovative new products in the future," says Coon.

Coon also notes that 1-800 will offer customers the opportunity to try an alternative eyecare provider and product and to invest in efforts to "address the anti-consumer practices endorsed by some participants in our industry."